A variety of high-speed, special purpose check deposit systems for commercial use are available on the market today. Using such technologies, businesses can initiate deposits of large volumes of checks from remote non-bank locations. However, such technologies require specialized equipment, such as equipment that magnetically reads the Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) line printed across the bottom of checks. At present, individuals do not typically make use of such specialized equipment. Instead, most individuals deposit checks by presenting them at their bank, Automated Teller Machine (ATM), or by mail.
In the future, deposit at home systems may emerge, allowing individuals the flexibility and time savings of remote deposit. One such system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/321,025. Such a system allows individuals to remotely deposit checks using a customer controlled general purpose computer with an Internet connection, and an image capture device such as a scanner or digital camera. A digital image of a check is made using the image capture device, and the customer computer sends the image to financial institution servers. The financial institution then processes the transaction using the received image.
Remote deposit systems adapted for personal use may prove advantageous for banks and bank customers alike, in part because they are well suited for today's mobile lifestyles experienced by individuals in military, government, and private sector careers, and in part because they successfully leverage electronic communications advances allowing unprecedented automation, speed, and security in deposit transactions.
However, technologies for automatically processing deposit transactions accurately and swiftly are in their infancy. Accuracy and speed are important to the financial institution, which is motivated by a desire for efficient, cost effective operation. They are equally important to the consumer, however, because consumers want to know with certainty at the time of deposit that the check was in fact received, meets the bank's requirements, and that the funds will be made available in their account in due course.